Abe Shinzo’s Indo-Pacific Legacy
Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s assassination on July 8 has left a significant void in the Indo-Pacific. Not only has Japan lost an important leader, but the region has lost a statesman, visionary, and friend of India and the Indo-Pacific. Abe was the longest-serving prime minister of Japan, but more significantly he turned around Japan’s place in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. Geopolitical gravity shifted toward Japan under Abe’s leadership, especially in his second stint as prime minister, starting in 2012. His first term as prime minister cannot be discounted, either. For instance, his visionary speech in the Indian Parliament in 2007 on the “confluence of the two seas” became the guiding principle for the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) concept that has gained greater ground in recent years. Likewise, his conception of Asia’s “Democratic Security Diamond” — where Abe articulated that “peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in the Pacific Ocean are inseparable from peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean” — came during his first stint in office. With this backdrop, he foresaw a critical role for the major democracies in Asia including Australia, India, and the United States. Each of these became instrumental in the establishment of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the Quad, among Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.
India targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, says Modi
India’s economy will become carbon neutral by the year 2070, the country’s prime minster has announced at the COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow. The target date is two decades beyond what scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic climate impacts. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050.
COP26: What climate summit means for one woman in Bangladesh
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Why China's climate policy matters to us all
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Deliver on promises, developing world tells rich at climate talks
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.